Tony Johnston Embraces Change
You only have to talk to Tony Johnston for a few minutes to understand how much he loves Cincinnati Children’s and its mission.
The newly appointed chief information officer and senior vice president of Information Services has worked for the health system since 1989, and he’s easily as upbeat and excited about the future as he was when he first started—maybe even more so.
Tony grew up on Cincinnati’s west side and started his healthcare career working in supply process and distribution (SPD), and then was certified as an orthopedic technician at Providence Hospital while going to college at the University of Cincinnati.
“I enjoyed working in healthcare,” he says, “but when Providence Hospital announced they were opening a new data center and posted jobs for operations there, I realized I could apply what I learned in college to healthcare. So, I pursued a position in the data center, and I got it. It was a good fit for me because it combined my passion for healthcare and information technology.”
Tony quickly gained experience installing and supporting the first computer networks for all the hospitals in the Franciscan Health System. So, when the opportunity came to work for Cincinnati Children’s, he was ready.
“When I first came here 33 years ago as a systems analyst, the number of computers in use at the hospital was only in the hundreds, and there was no electronic medical record,” he recalls. “I was fortunate enough to put in the very first network at Cincinnati Children’s. We also installed the very first email system. It was exciting to be a big influencer in all that.”
Tony has been a driving force behind important Information Services initiatives throughout his career. He co-led the selection, installation and implementation of our integrated electronic medical health record (Epic), and he designed and oversaw the construction of our data center that supports the technology infrastructure at all Cincinnati Children’s campuses and locations. In addition, he co-led the implementation of our enterprise resource planning system (PeopleSoft) and started our Telehealth program. More recently, he co-created the first augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) training center in the world housed within a hospital. It was this technology that enabled the creation of a digital twin of the new Critical Care Building so staff could learn how to work in the space before it was physically accessible.
On July 1, 2008, Tony Johnston, then assistant vice president (r), co-led the team that launched Epic, our new electronic medical records platform. He's pictured here with (l-r) Marianne James, vice president and Chief Information Officer; Jason Napora, senior director; and Marilyn Slotkin, senior director. On day one, staff in the Command Center took a total of 1,277 Epic-related calls — an average of 80 new calls every 30 minutes.
Growth and Expansion
Since Tony’s arrival at Cincinnati Children’s, Information Services has grown from a team of about 30 people to more than 800 IS professionals who work ’round the clock seven days a week to keep systems running smoothly.
“Some of what our teams do is obvious; but so much of what they do is unseen. Today, pretty much everything connects to the internet in one fashion or another,” says Tony. “As technology continued to advance and medical devices started connecting to the network, we implemented a strategy to have Clinical Engineering become part of our department. There are thousands of medical devices used for clinical care connected to the network today.”
Information Services has built and supported the technical infrastructure of every new expansion of Cincinnati Children’s services, which are now housed in 50 locations. And there is no sign of it slowing down.
With so much riding on his shoulders now as the department’s leader, Tony isn’t fazed.
“We have a great team, and I have worked with the best,” he says, giving a huge nod to his predecessor, Marianne James. “Marianne and I have had a wonderful partnership for over 20 years. We’re like the yin and yang. We could disagree but always in a positive way that allowed us to get to the right place for our patients, families and staff.”
That collaborative spirit has paid off over the years. Cincinnati Children’s has consistently been ranked as one of healthcare’s Most Wired by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives, and we are one of the first pediatric institutions to be Stage-7-certified by the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
“HIMSS assesses digital excellence in healthcare at the international level,” Tony explains. “They send surveyors, much like the Joint Commission does, to validate that you’ve implemented an electronic medical record and technology, and that you are using it as designed. It is an honor to have earned this recognition.”
Tony believes that change will be good for Information Services and for Cincinnati Children’s, as well.
“I will miss working with Marianne, but I am so happy for her that she has the opportunity to retire and have more time with her family,” says Tony. “Meanwhile, we are doing some restructuring to prepare for the growth ahead. I firmly believe that if you are thinking about your job today the same way you did yesterday, you are not serving yourself or Cincinnati Children’s well. It’s important to be proactive and creative and look forward to what’s next. Change is happening all around us, and it’s up to us to find new, innovative ways of driving that change forward.”
(Pictured) Tony checks out network connections in the new Critical Care building during its construction.